


Sick and Terrified

by Star_Jelly



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Other, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-22 05:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14302038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Jelly/pseuds/Star_Jelly
Summary: Ed gets sick and Winry has to take care of him while Al is out. But I’m doing so, Winry finds out a secret about Ed’s fears





	Sick and Terrified

**Author's Note:**

> I’m still only at the beginning of FMAB so I really shouldn’t be writing this, but I really like this idea and I don’t want to put it off. Worst comes to worst, I can just edit it later. Sorry about any inconsistencies between this and the show.

Ed let out a groan and rolled out of bed. God, he felt shittier than usual. He trudged into the bathroom, blanket still hanging off his shoulders, and peered in the mirror. His nose was bright red and his cheeks were heavily flushed. He ran a hand through his tangled, blond locks and sighed, his voice coming out rough and causing him to cough loudly. He shuddered and pulled the blanket around himself. He was too damn cold. Everything felt too cold. He wanted to crawl back into bed and die. This never happens, he thought. He never gets sick. The only one who ever got sick at the house was Alphonse, and that wasn’t really an issue now for obvious reasons. He had a good immune system, just like mom, but...no. No, he wasn’t going to think about that. This was different. He wasn’t that sick. He took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror, examining his face: the sharp features, the flushed face, the red nose, the eye bags.  
He wasn’t that sick.

Ed stifled a cough with a gloved hand and pulled his coat tighter around himself as he walked down the hall with Alphonse. His chest felt too tight. His nose was stuffy. He felt like he was dying.  
“Brother, are you ok?” Al asked. “You don’t look so good.”  
“I’m fine.” Ed replied, sniffling. “Never felt better.”  
“I think you should go back to our room and rest.” Al began. “I can talk to the Colonel and—“  
“No, no!” Ed interrupted. “Really Alphonse, it’s fine! I swear, I’m—“ His sentence was cut of by a sneeze. “That was just a coincidence, I swear.”  
“Ed,” Al said firmly. “You’re sick. You need to go back to the room and rest.”  
“Am not.” Ed said, indignantly. “And even if I am, who’s gonna make me?”  
Al paused for a moment, then proceeded to pick Ed up.  
“Al!” Ed screamed, wriggling to try and get free. “What are you doing?!”  
“Taking you back to bed.” Al stated calmly.  
“AL!” Ed screamed. “Put me down! This is embarrassing! Alphonse!  
Ed squirmed and yelled for Al to put him down, but to no avail. He went boneless and sighed in frustration. So much for that, he thought to himself. Guess I’m here for the long haul  
  


Ed sat up in bed, arms folded and scowling at his lap. Al stood beside him.  
“I can’t stay.” Al said. “The colonel has work for me to do. But I phoned Winry and asked her to come take care of you.”  
Ed bolted upright. “You’re making her come all the way out here for this?!” His voice cracked as he said this and it launched him into another coughing fit. He took a deep breath as it ended, in some effort to right himself. “Al, why would you make her come all the way out here for this? This isn’t a big deal! I’m fine!” He didn’t say a word about his anxiety towards being sick. He didn’t want his brother to worry about him being anxious or worse, pass his fears onto him.  
“I asked and she said she was fine with it.” Al continued. “You need someone to take care of you while I’m out today.”  
Ed folded his arms, pouting. “No I don’t. I’m not a little kid. I can take care of myself.”  
“No, Ed.” Al stated firmly. “You need to stay behind and rest. You won’t be able to fight like this. I know how you are when you’re sick.”  
Ed groaned and flopped backwards onto his pillow. He was hoping work today would take his mind off this. But now Al was forcing him to stay behind. And bringing in Winry on top of that? Ed wanted to hurl himself out the nearest window. He enjoyed Winry’s company and liked her a lot as a person. But his most recent visit to Resembool had made him realize something. He could finally make sense of the butterflies in his stomach every time he was with her. But he was not ready to face those feelings yet. Especially not today with how off he was feeling. This was such a bad time. 

Winry stepped into the room and set her bag in the floor. “Hey, Ed!” She said, cheerfully. Ed looked at her, stunned. She looked beautiful as ever. He slowly took in every feature: the soft, flouncy, blonde hair. The rosy face. That winning smile. That slender frame. Those long legs. The— No, stop, snap out of it Ed, he thought as he shook the thoughts from his mind. She looks the same as always. Nothing’s changed. And yet, that doesn’t make her any less beautiful.  
“Uh, hey.” He mumbled. He glanced down at the suitcase at her feet. “What’s that for?”  
“Al told me to pack a bag.”  
“You had her pack a bag?!” Ed said, his voice cracking tremendously. “How long were you going to keep her here for?!”  
“I didn’t know how long you were going to need her for!” Al said, defensively.  
“The answer is not at all.” Ed snapped. “I told you I’m fine! I can take care of myself.” His sentence was ended by another ill-timed sneeze. Ed sighed in frustration. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his pointer finger and thumb. “Winry, please, just go home. I really don’t need to be taken care of.” He felt like an ass for saying it, but he couldn’t do this now. He needed to be alone, to try and get his thoughts under control. And Al’s emergency call for Winry was preventing that.  
“Ed, I’m staying.” Winry said, firmly. Ed looked up at her. “If I didn’t want to do this, I would’ve stayed home. But I’m taking time off to come take care of you. And I’m not leaving until I finish that job.”  
Ed sat there, stunned. Her statement did make sense and it certainly made him feel like less of a burden. He supposed that eased some of his worries.  
“Thanks again, Winry.” Al said. I’ll be back a soon as I can be. Take care of him, ok?”  
“Don’t worry,” Winry said. “ I’ll have him better in a day or so!” She flashed him a bright smile as he left.  
Ed flopped backwards onto his pillow and shut his eyes. He supposed this wasn’t so bad. To some extent, he wasn’t as anxious about...that...as he was this morning. Though this was mostly due to him being anxious about being around Winry. He breathed slowly and deeply, trying to clear those thoughts from his head. Just relax, he thought to himself. It’s ok. You’re safe here. He gradually drifted off into a peaceful sleep. 

 

Ed was awoken by the sensation of something touching his forehead. His eyes fluttered open to see Winry placing the back of her hand on his forehead. He might’ve been flustered if he hadn’t just woken up. Winry walked to the adjacent room without saying anything. She must’ve not noticed that he had woken up. She emerged from the room carrying a damp cloth. She glanced at him. “Oh, hey.” She said. “Your fever hasn’t gone down yet, so I thought this might help.” She placed the cloth onto Ed’s forehead. He shuddered slightly and let out a tiny sigh. “Feeling any better?” She asked. Ed grunted, which served as a “no”.  
“My head feels like it’s about to explode.” He groaned.”  
“Aw, poor baby.” Winry said, pouting fakely. “Trust me, I’ve gotten through worse when I had automail to work on.”  
Ed sighed. He knew she was just teasing, but he couldn’t laugh at it. His mind was buzzing as he lay there. His fever hadn’t gone down. What could that mean for him? No, stop. You’re not that sick. You’re fine.  
“My fever hasn’t gone down yet, huh?” He inquired, trying to hide the quiver in his voice.  
“Not yet, no.” She answered, nonchalantly.  
Ed groaned. “I should be out there. How could I let Al go without me? What if something happens to him?”  
“Don’t worry,” Winry said calmly. “Al can take care of himself. And you should be back out there in just a few days.”  
Ed sat up, taking the cloth off his forehead. “But what if I’m not?” He asked quietly. “What if this is worse than we think it is?”  
Winry took the cloth from his hands and stood up. “Why are you so worried about this?” Winry asked, she asked, walking to the bathroom. “You’re not dying! It just a little cold.”  
Ed stared at his lap, stiff and rigid.  
“That’s what the doctor told mom.” He murmured. “They said it was just a cold. That she’d be fine after a few days.”  
Winry froze in the middle of what she was doing. She had no idea. She didn’t mean it like that. She was just joking.  
“Ed, I’m so sorry,” she said timidly. “I didn’t know, I was just—“  
A sniffle cut through her sentence. She looked over just in time to see a tear fall from Edward’s face. Shit.  
“Ed, I—“  
“I know deep down that it’s really nothing.” Edward said, his voice breaking. “Part of me knows that I’ll be fine, but...” He took in a shaky breath, let it out, took in another one. “I think about what happened to mom and I just...” He looked down at his lap. “I still get scared.” He whispered.  
He jumped slightly as a pair of arms wrapped around his small, trembling frame. Winry had settled herself onto the bed beside him and embraced him. Ed was caught off guard and couldn’t keep himself from blushing, but he tried to let himself relax as Winry cradled him.  
“I know.” Winry murmured. “And I’m sorry I said that. I should’ve been more sensitive. But you’re ok. You’re going to be ok.”  
Ed curled up against Winry, taking deep, shaky breaths as he tried to calm himself down. He silently cursed himself for breaking down like this. He felt so weak, so vulnerable. But something about Winry made her easy to open up to. And now, laying in her arms, he had never felt more safe.  
  
Al opened the door later that day and stopped in his tracks; Edward was lying curled up on the bed next Winry, the both of them fast asleep. Al chuckled softly. He walked over to the foot of the bed as quietly as he could manage and pulled the comforter up to their shoulders.  
“Sweet dreams, brother.”


End file.
